Bottle crate



Nov. 1o, 1936. I W W, BlRNSTOCK 2,060,019

BOTTLE CRATE Filed Jan. 22, 1955 Patented Nov. 10, 1936 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE 7 Claims.

This invention relates to crates and more particularly to improved metalrunners for the bottoms of Wooden crates, especially for milk bottlecrates made up of replaceable elements.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a runner for bottlecrates which runner does not easily catch on obstructions on floors andchutes when in use and to provide such a runner with means for securingto the bottom slats of crates so that it remains in place long afterbeing worn entirely thru to expose the slat. Another object is toprovide a replaceable bottom slat having a runner which may be easilyand quickly renewed and in which no amount of wear can develop aprotrusion for catching on floor obstructions.

Other objects will be made apparent by the following description andclaims when considered with the attached drawing in which Figure 1 is aperspective View of a milk bottle crate in which is incorporated myimproved runners.

Figure 2 is a perspective View of one end of a replaceable slat in thecrate shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged partly sectional elevation of one corner of thecrate, the section being taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1.

For the purpose of illustrating my invention I have shown in Figure 1 aperspective view of a milk bottle crate of the kind described andclaimed in my Patent No. 1,810,815 which crate consists of walls I heldtogether by separable corner angles II and I2 and further reinforced andstiifened by the cell forming cross rods I4 and I5 and by bottom rodsI6. These cross rods and bottom rods are preferably of the removabletype to permit the replacement of any side or end slat I8 or bottom slat20 that might be broken during the usual rough handling of the crate;one type of renewable rod is described in my Patent No. 1,949,674.However, it is to be understood that any type of cross rods or cellforming Adevice may be used in combination with my invention.

My improved bottom slat is best shown in Figure 2 as an oblong woodmember 22 laterally rabbeted near the bottom at 24, 25 to accommodate aU-shaped metal runner 26 which in turn is rabbeted or otherwise recessedat 28 to permit the bottom ears or flaps 30 of the outside angle I2 tobe flush with the bottom surface 32 of the runner 26. The runner isprovided with internal bosses 33 whereby they more securely stick to thebottom slats 22 and are also preferably provided with one or moreexterior recesses or indentations 35 for receiving a cooperating boss 36on the outside corner angle I2; the upturned inside ends 38 of the underflaps 30 may also be provided with bosses for engaging in the proximaterecesses 35 but I rind this to be an unnecessary renement. Since theangles and runners are usually made of sheet metal, it will be apparentthat the bosses and indentations are formed by a single operation,preferably by stamping.

The bottom slats 22 as well as the upper slats 40 preferably havevertical rabbets 4I at the ends where they fit under the outside anglesI2 whereby the outer surfaces of these angles are iiush with the outersurface of the walls I0. The ends of the runners 26 are made to conformto the shape of the rabbeted ends of the bottom slat so as to presentouter surfaces flush with the outer surfaces of the walls and angles. Itwill thus be seen that the construction of the improved slat with itsU-shaped runner is in keeping with the construction of the rest of thecrate and can be substituted for existing slats in crates of this typewithout any change except the provision of the locking bosses 36 to forma tongue and groove connection with the runner.

One of the primary results of the interlocking construction provided bythe bosses or tongues 36 and recesses or grooves 35 is that the sides 42of the runners remain in place on the slat even after the web 43 of therunner and the ilaps 3G have entirely worn away. Milk bottle cratescontinually go thru a wet and then a dry state so that in time the woodshrinks away from the metal runner and the latter would fall off if notsecured tothe slat. The usual practice has been to use nails to securethe runner to the slat but in use the nails fall out and since the endsof prior runners do not extend under the corner angles, the runner fallsoff or hangs on an obstruction and is torn off and this also happenswhere the runner extends the length of the slat but is not provided withthe groove for forming a tongue and slot connection with the cornerangles. It will be seen that in my runner no amount of wear on thebottom 0f the crate can develop a protrusion for catching on floorobstructions or other crates; also wear or shrinkage cannot cause anypart to become loosened and fall away from the crate to catch on suchobstructions.

In practice I iind it best to press the runner on to the slat and thento make the indentations 35 after the runner is in place. It is to beunderstood, however, that this sequence of op- Cilv erations may bereversed or the indentations may be made simultaneously with thepressing on of the runner.

In View of the above description it will be appreciated that theinvention is not limited to milk bottle crates but is applicable tocrates for any use however having slats with bottom wearing surfaces andthe following claims dene the scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. In a crate, a bottom slat, a U-shaped runner on said slat and a bosson one wall of said runner being deeply indented into the slat thusforming a tongue and groove connection between the slat and runner forpreventing the runner from falling from the slat.

2. In a crate having replaceable slats, outside and inside angles forlocking the slats together at the corners, a bottom slat engagingbetween the angles at the proximate corners, a U-shaped runner on saidslat and also extending between said angles, said runner having a tongueand groove connection with the outside angles.

3. The device of claim 2 in which the side walls of said runner aredeeply indented into the slat at the ends thus providing a tongue andgroove connection between the runner ends and the bottom slat.

4. In a bottle crate comprising opposite side and end walls, means ateach corner for locking the walls together and including an outsideangle, a bottom for said crate spaced from the lower edges of saidwalls, and runners on said edges for engagement with a supportingsurface, said runners comprising channel-shaped members embracing saidedges and extending under said outside angle, said runners havingfrictional engagement with the lower edges of the walls intermediate theends and having at the ends on the inner surfaces of the ilanges bossesfor lock ing the runners to said edges whereby the anges remain in placeafter the webs of the runners are worn through.

5. In a bottle crate comprising opposite side and end walls, means ateach corner for locking the walls together including inside and outsidecorner angles overlaying the joint formed by the proximate walls, abottom slat'l forming the bottom edge of each wall, and a runner on thelower portion of each of said slats, each runner being U-shaped in crosssection and embracing said lower portion, said lower portion beingrabbeted along the lower outside margin whereby the outer surface of therunner is flush with the surface of the slat, each end of the slat beingrecessed to t between said inside and outside angles, and a horizontaltongue and groove connection between one of said angles and said runnerwhereby the runner is prevented from moving vertically with respect tothe angles.

6. In a bottle crate comprising opposite side and end walls, means ateach corner for locking said walls together, said means including anoutside vertical member covering the end of one wall and having a bosson the inside, a bottom slat forming the lower portion of said one Wall,and a channel-shaped runner on said slat having an indentation in theend of its side wall for receiving said boss thus providing a tongue andgroove connection with said outside member.

'7. In a bottle crate comprising opposite side and end walls, means ateach corner for locking said walls together, a bottom slat forming thelower portion of one wall, and a channel-shaped runner on said slat,said means including interlocked outside and inside angle irons, theoutside angle iron having stirrup shaped under aps for receivingadjoining bottom slat ends and a tongue and groove connection betweensaid runner and said outside angle iron whereby the runner and bottomslatl remain in place after the wearing away of said underlaps.

WILLIAM W. BIRNSTOCK.

